While I've hunted turkeys for nearly 30 years, this is my first reply on this website. Concerning gobble tubes, I've had the most success with the Primos. In fact, when I just sounded like a hen and tried to entice the gobbler over to me, I would only kill a tom every 2-3 years even though I would have three permits annually, the limit in Illinois. I read an article by Ray Eye concerning the peck order that exists with both the toms and hens and the fact that if one were to sound like a newcomer that there would be a real strong chance that the "new" turkey would be checked out by the real one. Once I started using a gobble tube (just shake it), I've been able to take three gobblers annually over the past decade. My technique is to set up with my Pretty Boy or Funky Chicken some 200 yards from the roosted birds, answering with tree yelps (I've used the same mouth calls for the past 8 years!) as the real turkeys begin to sound off at daylight. After about 10 minutes, I'll answer the real gobbler with my Primos gobble tube, sometimes cutting the real bird off with my gobbles or even double gobbling. Once the real tom flies down, it's not unusual for the hens to take him in another direction. No problem, just realize that you'll be sitting there an hour or two waiting for those hens to finally head off to their nests, leaving the tom alone. Since I hen yelp and gobble every 15-20 minutes, he knows where the new gobbler is located and that there's some hens there as well. Expect the real gobbler to come in silently as he checks out the intruder. Last year it took four days to bag three birds and the year before it took five days. Best of luck in your turkey hunting.
